Public support for gay marriage has increased about 1% annually over the last two decades.
States where gay marriage is legal-
Massachusetts (2004)
Connecticut (2008)
Iowa (2009)
Vermont (2009)
New Hampshire (2010)
Washington, D.C (2010)
New York (2012)
Washington (2012)
States that recognize out of state marriages
California (only if marriage is from before Proposition 8 was passed)
Number of gay couples-594,391
State with most couples- California (92,138)
State with the least couples- North Dakota (703)
Same sex couples by city
New york- 47,000
Los Angeles, CA- 12,000
Chicago, IL- 10,000
The movement to open civil marriage to same-sex couples achieved its first temporary success in 1993 with the decision of the Hawaii Supreme Court
In 2001, the Netherlands became the first country to open civil marriage to same-sex couples
Belgium became the second in 2003
in 2005 federal legislation extended same-sex marriage to all of Canada
Same-sex marriage was also legalized in Spain in 2005
legalized in South Africa in 2006
legalized in Norway and Sweden effective in 2009
Portugal, Iceland, and Argentina effective in 2010
In October 2006, the New Jersey Supreme Court held that same-sex couples were entitled to the same rights and benefits enjoyed by opposite-sex couples under the civil marriage statutes.
The states of Maryland and Washington legalized same-sex marriage by statute in 2012.
In 1996 the defense of marriage act approved by congress and signed by Bill Cliton, defines marriage between one man and one woman and no state is required to recognize same sex marriage
February, 2011 Barack Obama announced that it is unconstitutional and the administration would no longer defend it in court.
The first legal same-sex marriages in the United States took place in Massachusetts in 2004 following the decision.
In 2008, Democrat governor Deval Patrick signed a law that allowed out-of-state same-sex couples to marry in Massachusetts
the first marriage lawsuit for same-sex couples in 1971
1984 The city of Berkeley, California, becomes the first city to offer its employees domestic-partnership benefits
2012 Maryland passes legislation to legalize gay marriage , becoming the eighth state
May 18, 1970 Jack Baker a student at the University of Minnesota unsuccessfully applied for a marriage license with his partner Jim McConnell.
November 21, 1976 a non-church sanctioned gay wedding makes news
1983 the spousal rights of same-sex couples becomes an issue
1984 first domestic partnership laws passed
October 10, 1987 first mass same-sex wedding ceremony
July 1989 court rulings define same-sex couples as families
1992 same-sex employees being to receive domestic partner benefits
May 1993 Hawaii Supreme court rules on same-sex marriages
March 1995 Utah Governor signs “Defense of Marriage” statute into law
May 1997 Hawaii becomes the first state to offer domestic partnership benefits to same-sex couples
February 1998 Alaska superior court rules in same-sex couples right to marry
November 3, 1998 Hawaii voters approve constitutional ban on same-sex marriage
November 3, 1998 Alaska voters approve constitutional amendment limiting marriage
December 20, 1999 Vermont Supreme Court rules in same-sex couples benefits and protections
March 30, 2000 Rabbis the biggest and most liberal ranch of Judaism in the US voted to recognize the partnerships of gay and lesbian couples
April 26, 2000 Vermont’s governor signed landmark legislation making the state the first in the country to grant full benefits of marriage to same-sex couples
November 2000 Nebraska voters approve constitutional ban on same-sex marriage
March 31, 2001 Four gay couples exchanged wedding vows in Amsterdam’s City Hall
Nov 2002 Nevada voters approve constitutional ban on same-sex marriage
May 21, 2003 Federal constitutional marriage amendment introduced
June 10, 2003 Ontario Canada legalizes same-sex marriage
July 8, 2003 British Columbia Legalizes same-sex marriage
August 1, 2003 Constitutional ban on same-sex unions gathers sponsors
August 18, 2003 Poll shows majority of Americans opposed to same-sex marriage
September 19, 2003 California passes domestic partnership law
October 28, 2003 US President Bush announces he wants marriage reserved for heterosexuals
the 2010 Census, there were 131,729 same-sex married couple households and 514,735 same-sex unmarried partner households in the United States
In a survey of marriage in Sweden between 1995 and 2002, there were 1,526 gay partnerships registered compared to 280,000 heterosexual couples
Although gay marriage is legal in Massachusetts gay couples still must pay their federal taxes as singles
Gay marriage was made legal for the first time in the world in 2001 by the Netherlands.
Canada was the first country to agree to marry gay couples without a residency requirement, allowing couples from all nations to formally commit.
Gay male sex was criminal in nine states of America until 2003.
In Lawrence v. Texas the Supreme Court accepted the argument that if heterosexual couples were allowed to engage in sex that wasn't penis-vaginal, it was discriminatory to ban two men from doing the same.
In November, California voters approved Proposition 8, a constitutional amendment outlawing same-sex marriage, thereby overturning the state Supreme Court decision that gave gay couples the right to wed just months ago
The federal government accords 1,138 benefits and responsibilities based on marital status, not on civil union status. A few of those benefits are unpaid leave to care for an ill spouse, social security survivor benefits and spousal benefits, and the right not to testify against one’s spouse, among others.
The District of Columbia and 47 states have anti-hate crime laws, however only 24 states and the District of Columbia include sexual orientation in their legislation.
According to FBI hate crime statistics, there were 6,604 reported hate crimes in 2009. 18.5% of which were based on sexual orientation. Most were violent in nature.
In July 2009, the Senate approved the Matthew Shepard Act, which will outlaw hate crimes based on both sexual orientation and gender identity.
While 19 states and the District of Columbia have laws barring discrimination based on sexual orientation, and many cities offer similar protections, federal law didn’t offer such a shield until November of 2007
The bill, the Employment Nondiscrimination Act, was the latest version of legislation that Democrats have pursued since 1974. To ensure passage of the bill, Democrats were forced to remove language that would have granted protections to transsexual and transgender individuals by barring discrimination based on sexual identity, a move that infuriated some gay-rights groups.
In the U.S., 75% of students have no state laws to protect them from harassment and discrimination in school based on their sexual orientation.
In public high schools, 97% of students report regularly hearing homophobic remarks from their peers.
Of the estimated 1.6 million homeless American youth, between 20% and 40% identify as LGBT
In one study, 26% of gay teens who came out to their parents/guardians were told they must leave home
LGBT youth also leave home due to physical, sexual and emotional abuse.
LGBT youth report they are threatened, belittled and abused at shelters by staff as well as other residents.
In 1993 the Defense Dept., at President Clinton's order, changed the ban on homosexuals in the military to a ban on homosexual activity.
The much discussed policy, known as "don't ask, don't tell," was presented as a way to allow gays in the military to serve without fear of discharge or other penalty as long as they did not reveal their sexual orientation.
While gay couples are seen on TV shows more often than in the past affection between the two is restricted to holding hands, playing with one another’s neck scarves and sharing meaningful looks
Despite the shortage of blood at banks across the country, gay donors are being turned away
Men who have had sexual contact with a man, even once, since 1977 are automatically disqualified
The agency has had its policy on men who have sexual contact with men since 1983, when the risk of AIDS through transfusion was recognized.
The FDA reaffirmed the policy in May of 2007, despite improvements in testing and increased susceptibility of heterosexuals to HIV.
A 1970 study in San Francisco found that approximately 61% of gays and 37% of lesbians were living alone.
over 5,000 gays and lesbians were asked: “Do you consider or have you considered yourself ‘married’ to another [homosexual]?” Only 40% of lesbians and 25% of gays said “yes.”
In the early 1980s the average number of years together was 9.8 for the married, 1.7 for cohabiting heterosexuals, 3.5 for the gay couples, and 2.2 for the lesbian couples.
In 1993, a study of 428 gays in San Francisco found that only 14% reported just a single sexual partner in the previous year. The vast majority had multiple sex partners.
In 1994, the largest national gay magazine reported that only 17% of its sample of 2,500 gays claimed to live together in a monogamous relationship.
Only 69% of Dutch gays with a marriage-type ‘partner’ actually lived together.
The average number of “outside partners” per year of ‘marriage’ was 7.1 and increased from 2.5 in the first year of the relationship to 11 in the 6th year.
At any instant, about 10% of gays live together in monogamous relationships.
In Denmark, a form of homosexual marriage has been legal since 1989
Through 1995, less than 3% of Danish homosexuals had gotten married, and 28% of these marriages had already ended in divorce or death.
divorce is about 50% more likely in male homosexuals, and 200% more likely in lesbians.
n 1989, Italian researchers investigated 127 gays attending an AIDS clinic. Twelve percent of those without steady partners vs. 28% of those with steady partners were HIV+.
n 1987 in Georgia , 48% of 43 lesbian couples, and 39% of 39 gay couples reported domestic violence.
In 1988, 70 lesbian and gay students participated in a study of conflict resolution in gay and lesbian relationships
In 1990, nearly half of 90 lesbian couples in Los Angeles reported domestic violence yearly. 21% of these women said that they were mothers.
The limited scientific literature suggests that physical domestic violence occurs every year among less than 5% of traditionally married couples, 20% to 25% of cohabiting heterosexuals, and approximately half of lesbian couples.
A May 2008 Gallup Poll asked the question: "Do you think marriages between same-sex couples should or should not be recognized by the law as valid?" Respondents opposed homosexual marriage by a margin of 56 percent (opposed) to 40 percent (agreeing).
26 states prohibit same-sex marriage in their state constitutions.
19 states currently prohibit same-sex marriage through statute only.
While a high percentage of married couples remain married for up to 20 years or longer, with many remaining wedded for life, the vast majority of homosexual relationships are short-lived and transitory. This has nothing to do with alleged "societal oppression."
A study in the Netherlands , a gay-tolerant nation that has legalized homosexual marriage, found the average duration of a homosexual relationship to be one and a half years.
Serial promiscuity: Studies indicate that while three-quarters or more of married couples remain faithful to each other, homosexual couples typically engage in a shocking degree of promiscuity.
The same Dutch study found that "committed" homosexual couples have an average of eight sexual partners (outside of the relationship) per year.
- Public support for gay marriage has increased about 1% annually over the last two decades.
- States where gay marriage is legal-
- Massachusetts (2004)
- Connecticut (2008)
- Iowa (2009)
- Vermont (2009)
- New Hampshire (2010)
- Washington, D.C (2010)
- New York (2012)
- Washington (2012)
- States that recognize out of state marriages
- California (only if marriage is from before Proposition 8 was passed)
- Number of gay couples-594,391
- State with most couples- California (92,138)
- State with the least couples- North Dakota (703)
- Same sex couples by city
- New york- 47,000
- Los Angeles, CA- 12,000
- Chicago, IL- 10,000
- The movement to open civil marriage to same-sex couples achieved its first temporary success in 1993 with the decision of the Hawaii Supreme Court
- In 2001, the Netherlands became the first country to open civil marriage to same-sex couples
- Belgium became the second in 2003
- in 2005 federal legislation extended same-sex marriage to all of Canada
- Same-sex marriage was also legalized in Spain in 2005
- legalized in South Africa in 2006
- legalized in Norway and Sweden effective in 2009
- Portugal, Iceland, and Argentina effective in 2010
- In October 2006, the New Jersey Supreme Court held that same-sex couples were entitled to the same rights and benefits enjoyed by opposite-sex couples under the civil marriage statutes.
- The states of Maryland and Washington legalized same-sex marriage by statute in 2012.
- In 1996 the defense of marriage act approved by congress and signed by Bill Cliton, defines marriage between one man and one woman and no state is required to recognize same sex marriage
- February, 2011 Barack Obama announced that it is unconstitutional and the administration would no longer defend it in court.
- The first legal same-sex marriages in the United States took place in Massachusetts in 2004 following the decision.
- In 2008, Democrat governor Deval Patrick signed a law that allowed out-of-state same-sex couples to marry in Massachusetts
- the first marriage lawsuit for same-sex couples in 1971
- 1984 The city of Berkeley, California, becomes the first city to offer its employees domestic-partnership benefits
- 2012 Maryland passes legislation to legalize gay marriage , becoming the eighth state
- May 18, 1970 Jack Baker a student at the University of Minnesota unsuccessfully applied for a marriage license with his partner Jim McConnell.
- November 21, 1976 a non-church sanctioned gay wedding makes news
- 1983 the spousal rights of same-sex couples becomes an issue
- 1984 first domestic partnership laws passed
- October 10, 1987 first mass same-sex wedding ceremony
- July 1989 court rulings define same-sex couples as families
- 1992 same-sex employees being to receive domestic partner benefits
- May 1993 Hawaii Supreme court rules on same-sex marriages
- March 1995 Utah Governor signs “Defense of Marriage” statute into law
- May 1997 Hawaii becomes the first state to offer domestic partnership benefits to same-sex couples
- February 1998 Alaska superior court rules in same-sex couples right to marry
- November 3, 1998 Hawaii voters approve constitutional ban on same-sex marriage
- November 3, 1998 Alaska voters approve constitutional amendment limiting marriage
- December 20, 1999 Vermont Supreme Court rules in same-sex couples benefits and protections
- March 30, 2000 Rabbis the biggest and most liberal ranch of Judaism in the US voted to recognize the partnerships of gay and lesbian couples
- April 26, 2000 Vermont’s governor signed landmark legislation making the state the first in the country to grant full benefits of marriage to same-sex couples
- November 2000 Nebraska voters approve constitutional ban on same-sex marriage
- March 31, 2001 Four gay couples exchanged wedding vows in Amsterdam’s City Hall
- Nov 2002 Nevada voters approve constitutional ban on same-sex marriage
- May 21, 2003 Federal constitutional marriage amendment introduced
- June 10, 2003 Ontario Canada legalizes same-sex marriage
- July 8, 2003 British Columbia Legalizes same-sex marriage
- August 1, 2003 Constitutional ban on same-sex unions gathers sponsors
- August 18, 2003 Poll shows majority of Americans opposed to same-sex marriage
- September 19, 2003 California passes domestic partnership law
- October 28, 2003 US President Bush announces he wants marriage reserved for heterosexuals
- the 2010 Census, there were 131,729 same-sex married couple households and 514,735 same-sex unmarried partner households in the United States
- In a survey of marriage in Sweden between 1995 and 2002, there were 1,526 gay partnerships registered compared to 280,000 heterosexual couples
- Although gay marriage is legal in Massachusetts gay couples still must pay their federal taxes as singles
- Gay marriage was made legal for the first time in the world in 2001 by the Netherlands.
- Canada was the first country to agree to marry gay couples without a residency requirement, allowing couples from all nations to formally commit.
- Gay male sex was criminal in nine states of America until 2003.
- In Lawrence v. Texas the Supreme Court accepted the argument that if heterosexual couples were allowed to engage in sex that wasn't penis-vaginal, it was discriminatory to ban two men from doing the same.
- In November, California voters approved Proposition 8, a constitutional amendment outlawing same-sex marriage, thereby overturning the state Supreme Court decision that gave gay couples the right to wed just months ago
- The federal government accords 1,138 benefits and responsibilities based on marital status, not on civil union status. A few of those benefits are unpaid leave to care for an ill spouse, social security survivor benefits and spousal benefits, and the right not to testify against one’s spouse, among others.
- The District of Columbia and 47 states have anti-hate crime laws, however only 24 states and the District of Columbia include sexual orientation in their legislation.
- According to FBI hate crime statistics, there were 6,604 reported hate crimes in 2009. 18.5% of which were based on sexual orientation. Most were violent in nature.
- In July 2009, the Senate approved the Matthew Shepard Act, which will outlaw hate crimes based on both sexual orientation and gender identity.
- While 19 states and the District of Columbia have laws barring discrimination based on sexual orientation, and many cities offer similar protections, federal law didn’t offer such a shield until November of 2007
- The bill, the Employment Nondiscrimination Act, was the latest version of legislation that Democrats have pursued since 1974. To ensure passage of the bill, Democrats were forced to remove language that would have granted protections to transsexual and transgender individuals by barring discrimination based on sexual identity, a move that infuriated some gay-rights groups.
- In the U.S., 75% of students have no state laws to protect them from harassment and discrimination in school based on their sexual orientation.
- In public high schools, 97% of students report regularly hearing homophobic remarks from their peers.
- Of the estimated 1.6 million homeless American youth, between 20% and 40% identify as LGBT
- In one study, 26% of gay teens who came out to their parents/guardians were told they must leave home
- LGBT youth also leave home due to physical, sexual and emotional abuse.
- LGBT youth report they are threatened, belittled and abused at shelters by staff as well as other residents.
- In 1993 the Defense Dept., at President Clinton's order, changed the ban on homosexuals in the military to a ban on homosexual activity.
- The much discussed policy, known as "don't ask, don't tell," was presented as a way to allow gays in the military to serve without fear of discharge or other penalty as long as they did not reveal their sexual orientation.
- While gay couples are seen on TV shows more often than in the past affection between the two is restricted to holding hands, playing with one another’s neck scarves and sharing meaningful looks
- Despite the shortage of blood at banks across the country, gay donors are being turned away
- Men who have had sexual contact with a man, even once, since 1977 are automatically disqualified
- The agency has had its policy on men who have sexual contact with men since 1983, when the risk of AIDS through transfusion was recognized.
- The FDA reaffirmed the policy in May of 2007, despite improvements in testing and increased susceptibility of heterosexuals to HIV.
- A 1970 study in San Francisco found that approximately 61% of gays and 37% of lesbians were living alone.
- over 5,000 gays and lesbians were asked: “Do you consider or have you considered yourself ‘married’ to another [homosexual]?” Only 40% of lesbians and 25% of gays said “yes.”
- In the early 1980s the average number of years together was 9.8 for the married, 1.7 for cohabiting heterosexuals, 3.5 for the gay couples, and 2.2 for the lesbian couples.
- In 1993, a study of 428 gays in San Francisco found that only 14% reported just a single sexual partner in the previous year. The vast majority had multiple sex partners.
- In 1994, the largest national gay magazine reported that only 17% of its sample of 2,500 gays claimed to live together in a monogamous relationship.
- Only 69% of Dutch gays with a marriage-type ‘partner’ actually lived together.
- The average number of “outside partners” per year of ‘marriage’ was 7.1 and increased from 2.5 in the first year of the relationship to 11 in the 6th year.
- At any instant, about 10% of gays live together in monogamous relationships.
- In Denmark, a form of homosexual marriage has been legal since 1989
- Through 1995, less than 3% of Danish homosexuals had gotten married, and 28% of these marriages had already ended in divorce or death.
- divorce is about 50% more likely in male homosexuals, and 200% more likely in lesbians.
- n 1989, Italian researchers investigated 127 gays attending an AIDS clinic. Twelve percent of those without steady partners vs. 28% of those with steady partners were HIV+.
- n 1987 in Georgia , 48% of 43 lesbian couples, and 39% of 39 gay couples reported domestic violence.
- In 1988, 70 lesbian and gay students participated in a study of conflict resolution in gay and lesbian relationships
- In 1990, nearly half of 90 lesbian couples in Los Angeles reported domestic violence yearly. 21% of these women said that they were mothers.
- The limited scientific literature suggests that physical domestic violence occurs every year among less than 5% of traditionally married couples, 20% to 25% of cohabiting heterosexuals, and approximately half of lesbian couples.
- A May 2008 Gallup Poll asked the question: "Do you think marriages between same-sex couples should or should not be recognized by the law as valid?" Respondents opposed homosexual marriage by a margin of 56 percent (opposed) to 40 percent (agreeing).
- 26 states prohibit same-sex marriage in their state constitutions.
- 19 states currently prohibit same-sex marriage through statute only.
- While a high percentage of married couples remain married for up to 20 years or longer, with many remaining wedded for life, the vast majority of homosexual relationships are short-lived and transitory. This has nothing to do with alleged "societal oppression."
- A study in the Netherlands , a gay-tolerant nation that has legalized homosexual marriage, found the average duration of a homosexual relationship to be one and a half years.
- Serial promiscuity: Studies indicate that while three-quarters or more of married couples remain faithful to each other, homosexual couples typically engage in a shocking degree of promiscuity.
- The same Dutch study found that "committed" homosexual couples have an average of eight sexual partners (outside of the relationship) per year.
SOURCES"Gay Marriage Facts and Stats." Www.gaylawreport.com. Web. 28 Mar. 2012. <http://www.gaylawreport.com/gay-marriage-facts-statistics/>.
"Same-Sex Marriage: A Selective Bibliography of the Legal Literature." Same Sex Marriage: A Selective Bibliography. Web. 29 Mar. 2012. <http://law-library.rutgers.edu/SSM.html>.
"American Civil Liberties Union." American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU). Web. 29 Mar. 2012. <http://www.aclu.org/lgbt-rights/lgbt-relationships>.
Infoplease. Infoplease. Web. 30 Mar. 2012. <http://www.infoplease.com/ipa/A0761909.html>.
"Defining Marriage: Defense of Marriage Acts and Same-Sex Marriage Laws." NCSL Home. Web. 30 Mar. 2012. <http://www.ncsl.org/issues-research/human-services/same-sex-marriage-overview.aspx>.
"Same-Sex Marriage Timeline - Born Gay - ProCon.org." Born Gay ProCon.org. Web. 30 Mar. 2012. <http://borngay.procon.org/view.resource.php?resourceID=000025>.
"Top 10 Pros and Cons - Born Gay - ProCon.org." Born Gay ProCon.org. Web. 30 Mar. 2012. http://borngay.procon.org/view.resource.php?resourceID=000005.
Premier Jewelry for the Gay and Lesbian Community." Gay Marriage Statistics. Web. 18 Apr. 2012. http://www.loveandpride.com/informationcenter/tips.aspx?categoryid=5.
"11 Facts About Gay Rights." DoSomething.org. Web. 18 Apr. 2012. http://www.dosomething.org/tipsandtools/11-facts-about-gay-rights.
"Family Research Institute » Blog Archive » Getting the Facts: Same-Sex Marriage." Family Research Institute » Blog Archive » Getting the Facts: Same-Sex Marriage. Web. 18 Apr. 2012. http://www.familyresearchinst.org/2009/02/getting-the-facts-same-sex-marriage/.